Capelinhos Volcano: the Moon-Like Landscape Born in 1957

In September 1957, the sea off Faial began to boil. Thirteen months later, the island had a new piece of land and a landscape that still looks otherworldly today: Capelinhos Volcano.

Thirteen months of eruption

The crisis began on 27 September 1957, with a submarine eruption a few hundred metres from Ponta dos Capelinhos. By November, lava and ash had already formed an isthmus connecting the new islet to Faial. Activity continued, with phases of varying intensity, until 24 October 1958, burying former farmland and homes under volcanic ash.

A lighthouse buried by lava

The old Capelinhos Lighthouse, built in the early 20th century, was partially buried by volcanic material and taken out of service. Rather than being demolished, the building was incorporated into the Capelinhos Volcano Interpretive Centre, built underground so as not to disturb the landscape created by the eruption. Visitors can climb the lighthouse tower to see the peninsula the eruption created.

An award-shortlisted museum

Opened in 2008, the centre tells the story of the eruption, explains the geological formation of the archipelago, and holds an exhibition on Azorean lighthouses. In 2012, it was shortlisted by the European Museum Forum for Best Museum in Europe — a rare distinction for a Portuguese museum.

The human toll

The eruption had a profound social impact: many Faial families lost homes and farmland, prompting the United States Congress to pass the Azorean Refugee Act in 1958, easing emigration for around 1,500 Azoreans to American territory.

Planning your visit

• Advance booking is recommended, at least 72 hours ahead.
• The centre may close in bad weather, given the site’s exposure to Atlantic winds.
• Set aside time to walk down to the coast and see the black scoria formations up close.

Best time to visit

Late afternoon brings a golden light that’s especially photogenic over the lighthouse and the Capelinhos islets.

Pair this visit with Faial’s central Caldeira to see, in a single day, two very different scales of the island’s volcanism: the ancient and the most recent in the entire archipelago.

Learn more about geotourism in the Azores.

Featured image — Photo: The Cosmonaut / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0